It's time to protect our jeopardized wetlands

Paul Chaplin (Patriot-News)The Susquehanna River is part of Pennsylvania's 83,000 miles of rivers and streams that are at risk from development and pollution.

By Larry Schweiger and George Cooper

Every living thing on earth benefits from clean water. From the brook trout at the end of your fishing line to the mountain laurel that blossoms in the spring to the ponds and lakes where your children enjoy their summers, high-quality water sources are essential to high-quality lives.

But Pennsylvania's 83,000 miles of rivers and streams, 161,000 acres of lakes and ponds and 400,000 acres of wetlands are at risk from development and pollution.

Prompt action by Sen. Arlen Specter and the other members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee helped conserve these aquatic resources and the range of benefits they provide by advancing legislation on Thursday.

Pennsylvania outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen always have been at the forefront of conservation in the Keystone State. Among America's most passionate and active hunters and anglers, they annually contribute $3.5 billion to the state's economy.

Yet federal clean water protections have been weakened in recent years.

Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 have crippled federal measures conserving geographically isolated wetlands and critical seasonal water sources, both of which support our fish and wildlife populations and are essential in sustaining Pennsylvania's sporting traditions and recreation economy.

Now is the time to restore essential protections for our state's water resources. The Clean Water Restoration Act would restore federal clean water and wetlands protections to the level originally intended in the Clean Water Act. It also would clarify which waters and wetland areas are protected and would slow the current trend of wetland loss in America without burdening America's landowners, farmers and ranchers.

Our coalition of sportsmen and conservationist organizations, including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League of America, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and others, thank the Senate Environment and Public Works committee for advancing this legislation.

Chris Knight, The Patriot-NewsA blue heron at a wetland in Lebanon.

President Obama's administration recently stressed the importance of restoring these water protections. In a joint letter sent on May 20, the leaders of five executive-branch agencies encouraged Congress to clarify those protections through legislation and define "waters of the United States."

The lack of a clear definition of which waters are protected has weakened the original Clean Water Act protections for miles of streams that feed major Pennsylvania water sources.

Sportsmen and sportswomen were pleased to have the support of Sen. Specter in moving the Clean Water Restoration Act forward; joining 11 of his fellow senators in taking a key first step in advancing this legislation that is crucial to Pennsylvania's fish and wildlife populations and the habitats on which they rely. Conserving these waters will ensure that Pennsylvanians have ongoing access to high-quality places to hunt and fish, and sportsmen's significant contributions to the state's economy will continue.

Sen. Specter's continued support is imperative to making sure this bill becomes a law. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, more than half of the state's historical wetland habitat has been eliminated.

Once again, sportsmen are leading the way in advocating for conservation of these irreplaceable resources, thereby ensuring that all Americans enjoy access to clean and healthy waters -- now and in the future.